Rafael Arutyunyan, Coach to the Reigning Figure Skating World Champion and Olympic Medalist Nathan Chen, Becomes Head Coach for High Performance Team at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena

January 25, 2019 10:29 AM

Rafael Arutyunyan, Coach to the Reigning Figure Skating World Champion and Olympic Medalist Nathan Chen, Becomes Head Coach for High Performance Team at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena

Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena is now home to esteemed figure skating coach, Rafael Arutyunyan. Arutyunyan will serve as the Head Coach for the High Performance Team. He and his coaching staff will oversee the High Performance Team in the Singles discipline at Great Park Ice. Arutyunyan’s current coaching roster is comprised of elite talent including reigning 2018 World Champion, Olympic team medalist and three-time and 2019 US National Champion Nathan Chen; 2017 and 2019 US National Bronze Medalist and three-time World team member Mariah Bell; three-time Czech National Champion and European Bronze Medalist Michal Brezina; 2016 World Junior Champion Marin Honda and 2016 Korean National Champion Eunsoo Lim.

Arutyunyan’s former roster includes two-time Olympic medalist, five-time World Champion, and nine-time US Champion Michelle Kwan; 2016 World Silver medalist, three-time US Champion and 2014 Olympic team medalist Ashley Wagner; 2016 US Men’s Champion, 2018 Olympic team medalist, and Season 26 Winner of Dancing with the Stars Adam Rippon, three-time World Champion Mao Asada, and 2008 World Champion and 2006 Olympic Bronze medalist Jeffrey Buttle.

Arutyunyan will be joined by his wife Vera Arutyunyan, Nadia Kanaeva, Michal Březina, Hovic Mkrtchyan, Li Mingzhu and two-time Olympic Champion Ekaterina "Katia" Alexandrovna Gordeeva who will serve on his coaching staff.

“The Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena is a state-of-the-art facility and I couldn’t be more excited to host practices and trainings there” said Arutyunyan. “My staff and I are happy to make the facility our new home knowing our athletes will be able to train on Olympic size sheets and commune with other elite talent.”